Like a Friend
by MarauderLove2001
Summary: Maybe people aren't always who they seem to be.


**Hello beautiful people! This is my first fic ever and I really hope you enjoy it! Please read and review. This is just a small one shot about the incident by the lake in James and Lily's fifth year. I'm still learning to use this sight so give me break. Thanks guys.**

Lily Evans sat in front of the fireplace in the Gryffindor common room. Her knees were pulled up to her chest and her chin rested on them. The faint light of the dying embers showed the dried tear tracks that ran down her pale cheeks. Her eyes were bloodshot and her red hair was a mess. It was late. Everyone else had gone off to bed hours ago. She had attempted to sleep but soon discovered that it was pointless, for every time she closed her eyes she saw his face. It would be impossible to forget the cruel, hateful look in his eyes and the harsh tone in his voice as he said the words that would forever ruin their friendship:

" _I don't need help from filthy little mudbloods like her!"_

Tears began to stream silently down her face once again. Why did he have to do that? Why did he have to say the one thing that she just couldn't forgive him for. Why did he have to be so heartless? He was suppose to be her friend. Her best friend. She squeezed her eyes shut tight, shivering despite the warmth of the fire.

She heard a noise behind her and knew someone had just come down the stairs,"Go away Marlene. I've already told you, I'm

fine."

"You don't look fine."

Lily's face hardened as she recognized the voice. She wiped her tears on the back of her hand, squared her shoulders, and stood up. She turned around to face him.

"Sod off Potter. I really don't want to see you right now." She said solemnly, narrowing her puffy eyes at him.

James Potter stood at the bottom of the staircase, clad in flannel pajama pants with broomsticks on them and a white t-shirt. He was sleepy eyed and his black hair was even messier than usual.

"Are you alright?" He asked, ignoring her request.

"Why do you care, Potter? Just go away, I really don't feel like dealing with you right now." She didn't even have the energy to yell or get angry.

It was because of this boy, James Potter, that she had lost her best friend. If it weren't for him, Severus would have never said what he did. He had ruined her life and made her lose the first connection she had ever made to the wizarding world. She hated him.

"C'mon Evans. How many times do I have to say I'm sorry before you forgive me?" He said, walking over to sit cross legged beside her.

"You can apologize all you want, I know you don't mean it and I am never going to forgive you. You've ruined my life and I don't ever want to talk to you again so just do us both a favor and leave me alone." She spoke in a deadly calm voice that scared him more than if she were to yell.

James just sighed and ran a hand through his tangled mess of black hair, tugging at it roughly. "You know what? You're absolutely right, I'm not sorry for what I did Snape. He's a bloody git and he deserved it. I've got nothing to be sorry for. He's the one that should be apologizing to you. Not me." He stood up and began to make his way back to the stairs.

He was almost halfway the first set when he heard her whisper, "Your right."

Lily knew she was only blaming him because she was mad. James was right, this was Snapes fault. All of it. No one made him say those words. Potter had said and done some awful things, but none of that compared to what Sev had done. James was a prat, she expected him to do stupid stuff. But Snape was supposed to be her friend and he had done the unforgivable.

He slowly turned around and walked lightly down the steps. He stopped and stood right in front of her, towering over her. "What did you say."

She looked up at him with watery eyes, "I said you're right. This is Se-Snapes fault. I was taking it out on you, and I'm sorry."

James at down next to her, mimicking her position, staring into the fire, "It's alright. You're hurting right now. I understand."

Lily just released a humorless chuckle, "How could you understand? How could anyone possibly understand how much I'm hurting right now? It feels like someone ripped out my heart and used it to play a game of quidditch. I feel betrayed. I feel like an idiot for trusting in him. I feel like somehow this is all my fault. My fault for believing in him, becoming friends with him."

She didn't know why she was pouring her heart out to James Potter. She just needed to talk, to let it all out, and he listened. He listened as she continued to ramble on about her childhood, growing up with Severus Snape as her best friend. He listened as she told him about how close they were. About how he had introduced her to the magical world. He couldn't help but feel a bit jealous of how close they seemed to have been. But he listened anyway, even letting her cry on his shoulder at one point.

When she had finished saying everything, hours had gone by. Yet Potter never left. He never interrupted her while she talked. He didn't even complain when she had soaked the shoulder of his t-shirt with tears. He just sat there and listened.

"I'm sorry Potter, I didn't mean to keep you up this late. Sorry for bothering you with all my problems." She whispered to him.

He waved his hand dismissively, "Don't even worry about it Evans, I don't mind. I'm the one that came down here to talk to you in that all the first place."

"Why?" She asked suddenly.

"Why what?"

"Why did you come down here to talk to me in talk first place?" She looked at him in the eyes.

"Oh, well I knew you were down here crying and I wanted to make sure you were alright. Plus I kind of had something I wanted to ask you." He scratched at the back of his neck.

"Oh, well what did you want to ask." She tilted her head to the side slightly.

"Oh, that." He sighed. "I wanted to ask you if you really thought I was just as bad as Snape."

She knitted her eyebrows together in confusion,"Come again?"

"Earlier by the lake. You told me that I was just as bad as Snape and I was just wondering if that's really how you felt."

Lily considered this. Sure, Potter had done some stupid, immature pranks and such over the years, but he is a teenage boy. He really wasn't that bad. He could be annoying and arrogant at times, but he was a decent person. He was a brave and courageous Gryffindor, he was obviously and undoubtedly loyal to his friends, and he had a good head on his shoulders. And as mean as he could be sometimes, he would never call anyone something as bad as Severus had called her. All things considered, he wasn't too bad.

"No, I don't think you're that bad Potter." She said simply.

His eyes widened slightly with surprise and his eyebrows disappeared into his hairline,"Really?" She nodded. "Wow, thanks. That means a lot coming from you Evans."

She let out a yawn and glanced at the watch on his wrist. It was 3:30 in the morning.

"Tired?" He asked her as he began to stand up, offering her a hand.

She nodded and let him pull her to her feet. She held onto his hand as they walked over to the staircases.

Before they parted ways, James looked her in the eyes, "Listen, I'm sorry. Not for what I did to Snape, but for what he did to you. You didn't deserve that, and he didn't deserve your friendship. I know it doesn't mean much because I know I'm not your favorite person, but I'm here. If you ever need anything. If you need someone to talk to, or just a shoulder to cry on. I'm here." He smiled gently at her.

She didn't know why, but she felt the need to embrace the sweet boy standing in front of her. So she did. She surprised him slightly as she threw her arms around his neck, pulling him close, resting her chin on his shoulder. The shock wore off quickly and he gently encircled her waist with his arms. They stood like that for a while, just hugging, enjoying the warmth that filled them both.

"Thank you." Lily whispered in his ear before kissing his cheek quickly and softly and disappearing up the stairs. Leaving James standing in the common room. A goofy grin gracing his lips.

A little bit later, Lily lay in bed thinking of how kind and caring James Potter was to her tonight. Not a lot of boys would sit up with you that late, listening to you as you babbled on about all your problems. Sure, tomorrow she would probably find something to yell at him about, something to make them have a full force row over in the middle of the great hall.

But tonight he was different. A lot could change in one day. First Sev betrayed her and then James was being thoughtful and caring, almost like a friend. Maybe people aren't always who they seem. And she drifted off to sleep, a small yet sad smile on her lips.


End file.
